Behind the Snow Queen
by FaylinnNorse
Summary: Retelling of the Snow Queen. I'm pretty much following each of the seven stories and I might add some more about who the snow queen is. REVIEW PLEASE!
1. The Looking Glass

Disclaimer: The Snow Queen belongs to Hans Christian Andersen. I don't own it and I'm not making money from writing about it.

It is a sad thing that we must start out on such a sad story, but until you hear the sad story, you won't understand the rest of the happier stories. So I will start, as stories always start, once upon a time. Once upon a time, there was a demon. This demon wanted to invent something awful, something that could terrorize mankind forever. He tried several kinds of ghosts and monsters, but the people, though frightened, would come together in their fear and live as better people, living in more harmony than before. The demon then realized that what he really needed was something that would tear them apart and make them hate each other, instead of bonding them together.

So he sat and he thought, and he sat and he thought. And finally he came up with what he wanted. The angels were fond of making looking glasses that brought out everyone's best traits and made the world seem altogether wonderful; he would make the exact opposite. He forged together glass and cold, freezing ice and burning fire and all number of awful things until his looking glass was the absolute worst thing one could ever look into. You may not think that this was all that an evil thing to do, that it was just a bit of mischief, common to such demons, but if that is what you think, you do not understand. If anyone looked into it, the world became awful, neighbors became worst enemies, love became hate, the world was completely distorted. People were disunited, wars broke out, the world became a startlingly frightening place to live.

The demon loved it all. He decided that it would be great fun to take the looking glass up to the angels and see what became of them after looking at it. He flew it up and up, but the higher he was the colder the looking glass became and the ice-like qualities in it became more and more pronounced, until it was so slippery that he dropped it back to earth. When it hit the ground, it split into millions of tiny pieces sprinkled all over the earth.

Some people got them stuck in their eyes, distorting life for them forever, making everything that was beautiful appear horridly ugly. Some people got them stuck in their hearts, where the ice in the glass would freeze all around them, making the people very cold and distant, without any kindness in them at all. The larger pieces were used for many things: windows, glasses, fancy drinking-ware, among many other things. All of the people that used them, however, found that they were a great deal happier when they were far away and could not look at them, so luckily most of those pieces of the big looking glass were stuck into cupboards where they got very dusty and were not looked at again for many, many years.

Still, it was dreadful that mankind had to bear the effects of the broken looking glass, they would never be quite the same, never as bonded together, never as happily friendly as they were before the demon had made his abominable invention. That being said, we need no longer think of it. Just hear the story, not behind, per se, but surrounding one small piece of that looking glass.

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Sorry if that chapter was dumb/boring/awful. The rest will be better, I think. I'm not really planning on changing that much, but I want to elaborate on the snow queen and who she is and stuff, cause in the story they never really explained her.


	2. Snow Queen

Cold. Alone. It had been so long, but she still vividly remembered the events that scarred her life forever. She lived in a black and white world now. White skin, black hair, white snow, black night. There was the snow and there was the darkness.

She sat in her palace of ice, with nothing to warm her. Her heart was frozen over, and her world was dark. True, she brought the sparkling snows that children delight in and drew pretty pictures on icy windows, but she found no joy in it.

She thought of the word, the only word that mattered anymore. Eternity. Eternity of ice, eternity of cold, eternity of being alone. She had not bargained for this, and she did not wish it. But she had it still, and there was no getting out of it.

This was her fate; there was no escape. She made a promise, and though it was made rashly, she would keep it. So she sat, and she let the cold take over her. She let herself sit and wait as it took over her mind. She let herself become completely uncaring about everything. She let the wall of ice freeze her heart, her heart which had once been so full of love, but that was many, many years ago.

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Thanks for reviewing, and if you didn't, you should!


	3. Children

Gerda sat at the feet of Kay's grandmother. "But who is she?" she asked once more.

"No one knows, except for the snow queen herself," the old woman answered. "All I know is that she brings the snows and draws the ice pictures on the windows."

"Did she bring the blizzard that killed old Mr. Henderson?" Kay asked.

"That she did."

"Why? She must be awful mean, then."

"Is she good or bad?" Gerda asked, sounding rather confused.

"I don't know. Nobody really knows anything about her, but she's not to be judged by the storms she brings. She simply is who she is and her position demands respect. I would imagine that her life is not always pleasant, always being in the cold, winter snows," the white-haired lady tried as best as she could to explain the snow queen.

"Well, I'm going to meet her someday," Kay said determinedly.

"Me too," Gerda said, in her sweet little girl's voice. "And when I do, I'll ask her if she likes being the snow queen or if she would rather be in warm weather."

Kay's grandmother, Mrs. Thatcher was her name, laughed. "Silly children, you can't meet the snow queen."

"Why not?" they asked in unison.

"It's simply not done."

"Why not?"

"It's—it's just the way things are. And don't ask why not again, or I won't tell you another story."

The children were then immediately quiet, listening for the next tale. It was a very cold winter day and they had nothing to do but listen to stories from the old grandmother. They could not wait for summer so they could once again go and play in the rose garden that was in between Kay and Gerda's two houses. In full summer there would be roses cascading over the wall of both houses, so thick that sometimes it was impossible not to get a few thorns stuck in you. Both children adored playing in the roses and would usually spend all day there together. They loved each other as only children could, in the simple, completely trusting way that adults seem unable to find.

The next day was a bit warmer so the children decided to bundle up and have a race outside. As they were running Kay got something in his eye. Gerda won the race, then looked back to find Kay winking and squinting.

"Kay are you alright?" she asked, putting her hand on his arm.

"Yes, I'm fine now. It's gone." But he wasn't fine. He was different, for he had pieces of the looking glass, one in his eye and one frozen round his heart. Looking aroun, nothing looked quite the same. The street looked cold, dark, and deserted. The houses looked poor and rundown. Gerda looked like an annoying, sniveling child. Her freckles and the knots in her hair were extremely pronounced and she looked very ugly. He violently flung her hand off of him. "Don't touch me," he hollered.

"Oh—alright," Gerda stuttered, wondering why he was suddenly so moody.

"And I don't want to race anymore, it such a childish thing to do!"

"Oh, well, I suppose we could listen to your grandmother tell more stories—"

"No, she tells such boring, simple stories, made for babies."

From that day he was never the same. He never wanted to do anything with Gerda, who he despised with no apparent reason, and he was always yelling and hollering about everything. Once, he got very, very angry and flung Gerda across the room, making her fall down and hit her head.

"Kay, what's wrong with you? You're never nice anymore!" she cried.

"I'm just the same as I always, you're just so babyish and mean and ugly nowadays. Stop crying, you look so horridly ugly. Now I'm going into town where the other, older boys are. That's where I should have been all along, instead of playing with a boring little girl like you."

"Kay...wait!" But he was already far down the street.

In town there were many boys who were daring each other to do wild things, like seeing how far out on the ice in the fountains they could go without it cracking, taking gum from the general store and other similar things. Kay didn't really enjoy it, he just enjoyed it more than playing with Gerda. The other boys thought he was funny, the way he seemed to hate everything. They would point to things and ask him what was wrong with it, and of course he would find something.

They were standing, trying to think of a hard enough dare for Kay to do when a pure white sledge with a black-haired woman drove by. The boys' eyes widened. "Kay, I dare you to jump on that sledge and ride for a while with the lady," one of them said.

"Fine, I will," said Kay, for he didn't want to be thought of as a chicken. He started to run and jumped onto the back of the sledge.

For a few minutes he sat still on the back. The sledge started to go faster and faster and Kay got very, very cold. Eventually he decided he'd just go and talk to the lady driving it. He flipped himself over onto the seat in the sledge, right next to her. She was very beautiful with jet black hair, skin as white as snow, and bright blue eyes. She raised one dark brow at him when she saw him.

"Hello," she said, almost making it sound like a question.

"Erm—hello ma'am. My name's Kay." Kay thought she was the lovliest thing he had ever seen. Though he thought that the white horses pulling the sledge were actually rather off-white and the sledge really wasn't designed quite right for getting very much speed and the bells on the horse's harness's clanged in a very unmusical way, he found no fault with the black-haired lady. Her skin was entirely pure of blemishes, her eyes shone in an ethereal way, and her hair was perfectly straight with not one fly-away hair.

"Hello, Kay." There was a rather awkward silence. "You look cold. Do you wish to be covered by my blankets." Her voice was soft like the wind and as musical as a flute tuned to perfection.

The blankets were of snowy white fur and Kay accepted immediately. (Even though they weren't quite as soft as they should have been.)

"How long are you planning on riding with me, Kay?" the lady asked him.

"Well, where are we going?" asked Kay.

"To my palace of ice, far, far from here."

"Then you're the snow queen!"

She nodded, "Yes, yes I am."

Kay thought that there was something he ought to ask her, something someone else had wanted to ask her, but he could not recall just what it was.

"Do you wish to come to my palace with me? You could stay there as long as you like," she asked Kay.

"Well, I suppose I could for a little while," Kay said. He knew, of course that he shouldn't, but the glass in his heart made him uncaring to how his family and Gerda would react to him being gone so long.

"Good," she said smiling slightly.

They rode in silence for a time, until Kay, though covered in the fur blankets, became very cold. He was shivering, almost violently and his lips had turned slightly blue. The snow queen then, suddenly gave him a kiss on the forehead. Her lips were like ice and for a moment Kay thought he would surely freeze to death, but then it seemed to immunize him to the cold. He stopped shivering and sat up straight in the sledge, without feeling cold in the slightest. He was perfectly fine for the rest of the trip to the ice palace.

Well, I revised it a little, trying to show how things looked to Kay, but I wasn't entirely sure where to put things. More reviews are always welcome.


	4. Reflections

Through the reflections in the ice, she looked at the boy where he was sleeping. She didn't know why she had brought him. She knew she really shouldn't have. He probably had parents, a family who would be waiting for him.

But something about him reminded her of long ago, of how things could have been. Of warmth, of the sun, of the hot summer nights dancing beneath the stars with her love. Of hugs and kisses, of her wedding day, of their little cottage with all the bright flowers. Of the little child that grew within her for just a few months before, well, before everything changed.

Looking at Kay, he was how he imagined her son would have been, if he had had a chance to live. With a sigh she turned back to her own reflection, taking in her black hair, blue eyes, and white skin. _I'm still pretty,_ she thought. _Still beautiful, but it's an unnatural beauty, an icy beauty._ She knew her heart had frozen and turned against the world, and she knew that would happen to Kay's if he stayed here, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to make him leave.

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I know it's short, I'll put up the next chapter soon, I'm gonna start writing it right now, hopefully it will be pretty long. Reviews are welcome, as always.


	5. Flower Garden

Gerda sat alone by her window, waiting for Kay. Waiting and crying and wishing he would come, but in her heart she knew he wasn't coming back. "Then I will go and look for him!" she shouted to no one in particular. She went outside to the streets, looking for the best place to start her search, when suddenly a horrible thought entered her head.

"Oh, he's dead, isn't he!"

"I don't believe it."

Gerda turned quickly to look for who had said it. The only other person nearby was a pretty lady with hair so bright it almost looked like the sunshine. She smiled and nodded at Gerda.

"He is dead and gone!" she fretted some more.

"We don't believe it!"

Two children dressed in brown, climbing trees waved at her. Gerda hurried on by, feeling quite unsettled.

"But, what if he's fallen in the river! Perhaps—perhaps the river will bargain with me." She walked the short distance to the river and stood looking out at it from the muddy shoreline. "I want Kay back," she called to it. "I'll give you my new shoes!"

Her shoes were brand new. Her mother had gotten them for her just a few days ago. They were bright red and still quite shiny with hardly any wear.

"I know they're a bit muddy right now, but the water will wash them off." She took them off, her anxiety for Kay hardly even letting her relish in the way the mud squished between her toes, and through them into the river.

Gerda was a rather small girl, so her throw didn't get the shoes far. The fell a small ways from the surf and quickly drifted back in. She went to pick them up and threw them as hard as she could. Again, they drifted back in. One third attempt came up with the same results.

"The river has nothing to give you in return," said an old man. Gerda was a bit frightened at first, but then when she really looked at him, she saw that he looked rather like Santa Clause, with his snowy white beard and merry smile.

"Please, sir, I'm looking for my friend. I'm afraid he may have drowned," Gerda said.

"And you thought that by giving the river your shoes, it would spit him back up. Well, little girl, the river won't take your shoes; it must not have your friend. You must look elsewhere. I wish you the very best of luck on whatever adventures you may find. In fact, you'll fair a good deal better if you have an efficient way of traveling. That there is my boat," he said waving a hand at it. "You can take it if you wish."

"Oh, thank you very much!" Gerda said, warmly, running down the bank and hopping into it.

Gerda sat in the boat for a long time, just letting the current take her where it chose. After drifting for a time, the sides of the bank became prettier and prettier until she was in a blossoming cherry orchard. Then, further down, she saw a strange looking house. It was all painted bright red with azure blue windows. It had gardens all around it with every sort of flower you could imagine.

By this time, Gerda was drifting very fast down the river, and she could see many rocks sticking out of it just a small ways further down from where she was. Gerda was very frightened and wished very much to leave the river and be on dry ground.

"Somebody, please, help me!"

Out of the house came an old woman, with long white hair, wearing a bright yellow dress and big heart with all flowers painted all over it. She was leaning on two wooden crutches, and she looked quite surprised to see Gerda.

"Dear child! How did you get here all by yourself? Come, tell me your name and your story," she said, coming a ways into the water and extending a crutch to Gerda, who grabbed it and jumped out of the boat, wading in to shore.

Gerda watched the boat swiftly get slammed up against the rocks and she felt very, very small. The old woman guided Gerda to a wooden bench where they sat down and Gerda told her tale. "Have you seen him? Have you seen Kay?" she asked the old lady.

"No, sweetheart, I have not. But I'm sure he cannot be far. I have always wished for a pretty maiden like you to stay with me. If you do, perhaps your friend Kay will pass by this way," she answered.

"But—but shouldn't I keep searching for him?"

"But child, what if you left and he came here, then you would miss him altogether." Saying this, she led Gerda into the house. The light came in through the windows and split into all the colors of the rainbow and there was a large bowl of cherries, the most delicious in the world, and she told Gerda she could have as many as she wanted. She combed out Gerda's long golden curls and Gerda began to forget about finding Kay, for the lady was fairy-descended and her soft singing magically made Gerda forget her past.

Then the lady went outside, leaving Gerda to the cherries. She stretched out her wooden crutch and made the flowers grow to incredible amounts. There were all of the flowers, except roses. She did not want Gerda to think of home, and her rose garden and Kay, for she wanted Gerda to stay with her.

"Gerda, dear, come and look at the flower garden," she called into the house.

Gerda came and smiled at all the flowers and played in them for a long while. There were all the flowers she could ever think of that bloomed in any season of the year. She loved the flowers so well that she decided she would stay with the strange old woman. So the woman gave her a room with a bed with crimson colored pillows and a bedspread embroidered with violets of many colors. Gerda was very happy and stayed there from the time when she was ten until she was fifteen. She grew into a lovely young lady and many suitors sought after, though she disliked her attention.

"Gerda, I love you so deeply, I think we are soulmates, meant to be together from the beginning of time. Will you marry me?" the young man, kneeling at her feet asked Gerda.

"But sir, you've only known me for three days!"

"And those three days have been the best of my life!"

Gerda shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Sir, I—I'm sorry, but I don't know you."

"That's alright, we'll get to know each other."

"Gerda! Gerda!" Gerda was glad to hear her adopted mother calling for her.

"I must go," she said quickly to the young man, running for the house.

"Another of those young men after you?" the lady asked.

Gerda made a face. "He thinks we're soulmates. I hate suitors, they all want to marry me, but I—I feel like I was made for someone else," she laughed, "now I'm starting to sound like them, saying I was made for someone else. I don't know, I'm just starting to feel so—restless here."

"Hmm," the woman said. "Well, I'll go get rid of him for you."

"Thank you," Gerda said, and as the woman was going out the door she happened to look at her hat, the one with the flowers on it, she was wearing it again, and Gerda saw that the prettiest flower was the rose. Gerda frowned, trying to think of what it was. "Roses," she said finally, but she could not recall seeing one in the garden ever.

So she went out into the gardens and searched through them all, but roses were nowhere to be found. At the end of her searching she was feeling very frustrated and started to cry. Then out of the ground, watered by her tears, sprang a beautiful rose bush. "Oh!" she said in delight, but then she remembered her gardens at home and playing with Kay.

"Oh no, I've stayed here far too long, it will be impossible to find him now!" She cried for a long time until she fell asleep in the gardens. "Do you think he is dead?" she asked of the roses, though she did not expect an answer.

Out of the roses sprung a lovely maiden dressed all in rose red. "We have been dead in the ground," she said, "but Kay was not their with us."

"But who are you?" Gerda asked her.

She simply smiled and faded back into the rose petals. Gerda looked around and saw that there were several of these maidens all dressed in the color of the flower they were sitting next to.

"Have you seen Kay?" she asked to a tiger lily maiden.

"Hark, do you hear the drum? Turn, turn. The Hindoo widow, in scarlet robes, at the body of her husband, consumed in flames. Her son, who lit the fire. Can heart's fire be extinguished by the ashes?"

"I—I don't understand," Gerda stammered, but the maiden drifted into her flower, just like the rose-maiden.

Gerda asked an innocent looking girl dressed in white, standing by the snow-drops, "Have you seen Kay?"

The girl smiled and closed her eyes. "A swing hanging from a tree. Two little girls dressed in white with green ribbons that flutter from their golden hair. Their brother standing nearby, blowing bubbles that glisten like the rainbow. A little black dog wants to swing, but he cannot. The bubbles burst. This is what I see."

Gerda nearly gave up then, but she decided she would ask the hyacinth lady if she had seen Kay. "Three maidens, dressed in red, blue, and pure white. They dance in moonlight by the lake. Attracted by the fragrance, they disappeared into the forest. Three coffins that maidens lie in, glide across the lake. Fire-flies float around them. Do they sleep, or have they died? Bells toll as they drift away."

Gerda felt very sad. "Dead maidens, so Kay is dead then? The rose-maiden said it was not so."

"I tell not of Kay, I know him not. This is my story as I see it in my dreams, it is what I know of life," the hyacinth lady told her, before drifting back into her flower.

Gerda looked at the other flower maidens, but she had not the heart to speak to them. "I must go, I cannot wait any longer. I must find Kay." She walked to the edge of the garden, where she found a gate. "Open," she said to it. "I go to find my beloved." It swung open for her and she went through.

Outside of the flower garden she found that the leaves were falling from the trees and all of the plant-life was dying. Only the garden had been bloomed, for it bloomed all year long. Gerda felt very small and alone and the world looked very dark and bleak. Still, she pushed forward for she knew she had to find Kay, years had passed, and she could sit and wait any longer.

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Does anyone actually like this story, cause I've had 71 hits and only one person has reviewed, it kind of makes me wonder... So if you do like it and want me to keep writing it, I would appreciate a review!


	6. The Ball

Well, I owe this chapter to Queen Tabitha Tall, who begged me to keep writing this story. So I did write another chapter, though I still don't think it's very good, but...the rest of you can see what you think, I guess.

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Gerda walked down the road. It was raining and she was tired and alone. She was near to giving up on doing anything, when she felt something peck her back.

"Ow!" she turned around and looked.

It was a shiny black crow.

"I could not help but notice, mademoiselle, that you were out here all alone and soaking wet. Is there anything I can do for you?" the crow spoke in a voice, most unlike what a crow would naturally sound like. It didn't have a squawking sort of voice at all. It was deep and most gentlemanly sounding.

"I'm looking for someone," Gerda said. "His name is Kay. He looks like...well, I don't know, it's been years since I saw him. He had dark hair and hazel eyes. He—he.." Gerda searched for the right words to describe him.

"Well, mademoiselle, you may be in luck," the crow said. "The lovely princess of this land has recently taken it upon herself to find a husband. She's having a ball with all of the eligible gentleman in the area. Perhaps you could find your Kay there."

"Oh! Thank you! Could you take me there, please?"

"Of course," the crow started hopping from tree to tree, always glancing back to make sure Gerda was following closely behind.

Soon, they reached a grand palace of marble.

"I cannot get you in myself," the crow said, "but my sweetheart, she is one of the castle crows, she can help you find the ballroom."

Gerda and the crow went to one of the side doors, where he proceeded to peck on the wooden door. In hardly a moment, a female crow came out.

"Why, Andre! It's you!" she said happily. Then she looked at Gerda. "Oh! You poor, darling, you're soaked!"

"She needs to get to the ball," the first crow said. "She's looking for a friend of hers, and she thinks he may be one of the men come to marry the princess."

"Oh," the crow said knowingly. "Dear, was he—was he very tall?"

"For his age, yes he was," Gerda answered.

"And—did he have dark wavy hair?"

"Yes, he did!" Gerda said, becoming excited at the prospect of seeing Kay again.

"And did he have a fondness for wearing new boots?"

"Yes, whenever he got them, he'd always walk around, making as much noise as he could with them. He delighted in it," Gerda said wistfully.

"Ah, well, the princess has been dancing with a similar sounding man all night. Everyone's sure she'll marry him. They just dance and dance and stare deeply into one another's eyes."

"Oh..." Gerda said, both happy at the idea of seeing Kay, and disappointed with the idea of him getting married.

"Well, come on! Let us go!"

The crow led Gerda down many confusing passages until finally they came to the door of a room, with lovely music coming from it.

"That's the one," the crow said. She'd wished Gerda the best of luck in finding Kay and went back to be with the first crow, which Gerda had concluded was her lover.

Gerda walked inside and immediately felt out of place. She was soaked and wearing old, torn clothes, while all of the other girls had twirling skirts of all sorts of bright colors. Gerda looked about desperately for Kay, but she could not find him anywhere. She wanted to find the princess, to see her dancing partner, but Gerda was not very tall and could not see over the many people in front of her.

Gerda twisted her way around and under people until she found the princess. She knew undoubtedly it was her, the moment she saw her. The princess had long hair like spun gold, a perfect face with no blemishes, and the bluest of eyes. And her dancing partner looked remarkably like Kay.

Gerda ran up and put her hand on the man's shoulder. He turned to face her.

"Oh!" she cried out for he was certainly not Kay.

The princess turned to face Gerda.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Gerda sighed and told her story up to how the crows had helped her get into the ballroom to find Kay.

"Oh, dear," the princess said. "I am most sorry about this whole business, and especially that we could not be of any help to you. At least let us give you some nice clothes and a carriage to find your way to Kay."

Gerda accepted gratefully. The very next day she set out with a brand new dress and a fine carriage with big, white horses. She also had heard that the crows had both got a new place to live, where they would never have to be separated again, a reward for helping her. Gerda thought the princess was quite a kind and gracious person.

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I would appreciate any reviews you give me, especially if they are honest! If you don't like the story, or if you do, I would like to know, so I can decide if I should finish it or not. Oh!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Cinderellaish elements I incorporated into this chapter.


	7. Pirates and Mermaids

Instinct made Gerda get on a ship to the north lands. The day they set sail was gorgeous with a bright blue sky reflecting on the waves. The wind was blowing just right so that they got a good distance from the land. When it was nearing the end of the afternoon, though, they spotted another ship. This ship had black sails with a skull and crossbones.

"Pirates!" the sailors called, readying their cannons.

Gerda looked on, feeling a bit frightened. The pirate ship took the cannon blows better than their own did. Soon, it was obvious that the pirates had got the best of them. They came on board, all dressed in their ridiculous looking finery and took what they wanted from them. They were just going to leave when a boy, about Gerda's age spotted her.

He frowned. "You, there! Come with us!"

"Me? Whatever for?"

"Because I want you to," he said. He grabbed her hands, and Gerda, feeling quite dazed, went with him.

And so, Gerda set sail with the pirates.

"What's your name?" the boy asked her, aboard the deck.

"Gerda. What's yours?"

"Pedro," he replied. "What were you doing on that ship?"

"Sailing north, to find a friend. His name is Kay, but I fear he is lost to me."

"What do you mean?"

Gerda related her story to him. "Ah, that is sad. If we ever see him, we can certainly take him aboard with us."

Gerda smiled and the two became friends, though of a strange sort. They sailed the seven seas for quite a long time, with no particularly destination in mind.

One day, Gerda and Pedro were standing on the deck together, when they saw a flash of bright pink.

"What was that?" Pedro asked.

They went to get a closer look, by the railing. As they did so, a girl came up out of the water. She had brown hair and the bluest eyes imaginable, but the most striking thing was her tail, visible in the water below her. It was bright pink and shaped just as a fish's tail would be.

Pedro stared. He was instantly in love with her. He waved, slightly, in a dumbstruck way.

The mermaid smiled slightly, then disappeared beneath the waves.

"Did—did you see her?" Pedro asked Gerda. "Was she not the most beautiful creature that ever dwelt in this world?"

"She was very pretty," Gerda agreed.

From that day forward, the mermaid girl was all Pedro could think about. He was constantly talking of how beautiful she was and mourning over the fact that she was a mermaid and he, a human. On occasion, they would see her again, which only drove him madder.

One night, they had a terrible storm. The wind howled and the rain poured down and down. Thunder was cracking right above them. Lightning hit the boat. It had a huge crack where it was leaking. They were going to sink. A wave sent the boat nearly tipping over. Gerda and Pedro were both tossed into the sea. Gerda managed to catch a piece of driftwood before another part of the boat smacked her head, sending her unconscious.

When Gerda awoke she was on the shore, of a strange land she had never seen before. She looked about her. She saw Pedro lying nearby, and the mermaid girl he loved so much was next to him. She had saved him from drowning, no doubt. Now she was sadly smiling at him, as though she loved him as well, and was mourning her return to the sea.

The mermaid chanced to look over at Gerda. She waved and smiled slightly. She looked at Pedro one last time and pushed herself back to sea. Gerda stood up. She looked at Pedro. He would be fine. She needed to go and find Kale. So she started to walk once more.

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Well, that was weird. I think this has gone from bad to worse. But I'll finish it, just for the sake of finishing.


	8. Words in the Snow

She watched him grow older, as she remained the same. She watched him grow cold, as she had been for so long. She watched him puzzle over the words written in the ice. The words she had written, in her boredom and depression. 

She remembered writing them there, an effort to keep her from losing her mind. It would have been easy to do, in the silence, and endless white of the snow. How she hated that place! She wished so badly that she could leave, but she knew she never could.

She had tried to escape once. She went to the warmest and noisiest place she could find. Somehow, she had been drawn back to her icy palace, once more. He dried to draw pictures of the words in the snow. She was amused at this child-like game he played. She scorned him, and yet adored him at the same time.

He wanted to leave her, she could tell. She told him, that once he could draw a picture of the word eternity, she would let him leave. He would be his own master, then and go anywhere he pleased. He puzzled over it, trying again and again. He slaved over it, day after day, but he did not know what eternity looked like. And he never would.


	9. Two Ladies and a Reindeer

Gerda walked and walked. The land grew cold and covered in ice. Gerda shivered almost violently. She chanced to see a reindeer in the snow. It had big, brown ice, so human-like that Gerda ventured to talk to the animal. 

"Reindeer, can you help me?"

It's ears perked up and it pranced closer to her. It stared at her, seemingly willing her to get on its bag. She did so and it began to run. Gerda bent down on its back to make use of its body heat. Since they rode for quite a while, Gerda told the reindeer of her story of searching Kay, though she didn't know if it really understood her. After a time they got to a poor looking shack. The reindeer beat on the door with its humongous antlers.

A woman answered the door. "Oh!" she said upon opening it. "Come in, Darling," she said, not to Gerda, but to the reindeer. "And you too, Dear," she then said to Gerda.

They both came inside. "Sit down," the woman said to Gerda. Then she went to the reindeer. The reindeer brought its nose right up to the woman's ear as if it were telling her something. The woman kept nodding and glancing at Gerda.

"Well, Dear, the reindeer has told me your story. I'm afraid I can not do much for you, besides giving you some food, and pointing you to someone who can. You are in Sweden now, and the Snow Queen, yes, she is the one who has Kay, is in Finland. I know a woman in Finland who will help you."

"You do?" Gerda started. She was very excited at the prospect of finding Kay.

"Yes, I do, though it may not be as easy a task as you would think. But, none the less, the reindeer will take you to the woman. Just let me write you a note to give her. In the meantime, here is some fish for you to eat," the woman said, taking some out of the fryer.

When the woman was finished she gave the note to Gerda and turned to the reindeer.

Gerda heard her whisper, "I believe she can break it, but you must help her first. It's the only way to free you."

Gerda did not know what they were talking about and so decided to simply dismiss it. The reindeer brought her to the home of another woman.

This woman's house was underground and rather hot and stuffy. The woman looked at Gerda and the reindeer rather suspiciously. She did not like strangers. When Gerda handed her the note, she grabbed it quickly. She read it through and seemed to soften a bit.

"The Snow Queen has your friend, does she?" she sighed. "I should have known she would do something like this. But you will be able to save him."

"But how? Will you give me something, to strengthen me?"

The woman shook her head. "Nay, I cannot. The Snow Queen is very powerful, yes, but she lacks what you have."

Gerda was confused.

"And that is pure, childhood innocence, faith in all that is good and true. And truly, what is keeping your friend with her is not so much the Snow Queen, but the glass in his heart and eye. The Snow Queen is not overly cruel, she is just...changed by life," the woman sighed again.

"How do you know so much about her?" Gerda asked.

"I...I am her mother."

Gerda started. "But—well—then why is she the way she is?"

"That is her story to tell, not mine. And, I suppose, I am not truly her mother, but her step-mother. I am quite sure she does not think of me as her mother at all, I suppose she despises me. But I have paid the price for my sins, though I doubt even now she would forgive me, because she has paid a price as well, but one she did not deserve."

Gerda wondered what had gone on between the two women.

"But enough of reminiscing. Reindeer, follow the path marked by the two highest snow drifts. They will lead you to the Snow Queen's palace, but you cannot enter it. Only Gerda can go that far. I wish you the best of luck, my child." The woman said.

Gerda and the reindeer soon left to find the Snow Queen's palace.

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Just one more chapter left, woohoo!


	10. The End

The reindeer left Gerda about 100 yards from the palace of the Snow Queen. He said that when she came out again, he would be waiting nearby. Gerda stood looking at it. It looked so cold, so icy. It was an amazing structure, with the huge spindly points of ice, but Gerda wished a million times to be home by a warm fire. 

Remembering, the Snow Queen's step-mother's words, Gerda tried to focus on what was true and right and good. When she had finally mustered the courage, she started to walk, with her head held high, to the palace. It was a few minutes walk, but it felt like a few hours. When she got to the grand entrance, she timidly walked through. She went through a hall, and then there was a room. And in the room was Kay.

Gerda's breath caught in her throat. She could not get to him fast enough. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around.

"Oh, Kay, Kay!" But he was so cold, so far away.

He stared at her with cold, black eyes, almost as if he didn't see her.

"Kay, Kay, don't you remember me? I'm Gerda, I know I've grown up much, and so have you," she said glancing at him, realizing for the first time that he was not a boy anymore. He was taller than herself, a handsome man.

"Leave me," Kay finally said. "I am happy here," he said the words, almost as if rehearsed.

Gerda bit back her tears, but when he turned away from her, to the cold icy walls, she could not keep them in any longer. She cried hard and unashamedly. She could not take it anymore. She ran to him once again and hugged him once again.

It mattered not that they were older, and propriety was against it. She held him tightly and pressed her face into his chest, not caring that he did not return the embrace. Her hot tears melted the ice of the looking glass in his heart. He pushed her away. Gerda braced herself for him to be angry, but instead he looked as though for the first.

"Gerda?" he said. "How—how did you find me here? Well, it doesn't matter now, we can go home!" he cried slightly, and the looking glass in his eye came out, like it had never been there at all.

Gerda smiled, came up and kissed him. He turned rather red in the face, but smiled as well. Then he got a distressed look on his face.

"Gerda," he said, "I can't leave. The Snow Queen, she said that I can only leave when I draw her a picture of eternity. But eternity doesn't look like anything. She's not here right now, but I daresay we wouldn't get out without meeting her. She will return very soon. You must go without me."

"I won't leave you here Kay. You have no idea of the troubles I went through to find you and how far I traveled from home. We will draw a picture of eternity together, and then we will leave this place."

"But how?"

Gerda bent down on the ground and drew a long line, for the endlessness of eternity. But she could not make it go on forever, she had to stop. She bit her lip.

Kay came down next to her. He started at one end of her line and drew it up to the other end. "There," he said, "it is an endless circle of life."

Gerda smiled. They stood up and started to leave. But at the entrance, they met the Snow Queen, who was just coming in.

Gerda shivered just looking at her. She had a very striking appearance. She was tall and her black hair was in such contrast to her white skin, it had to catch one's attention.

The Snow Queen did not get angry or rage, she simply said, "Where are you going?"

Kay stepped up. "We've drawn you a picture, of eternity, so we are leaving now."

She raised a dark brow. "Show me."

They went back into the palace and showed her their circle.

The Snow Queen laughed slightly, upon seeing. "You think it's that simple, do you? A circle to represent eternity? Well, for one who is living it, that is certainly not what it looks like. You cannot leave," she said adamantly.

Gerda stood, not knowing what to do.

"We can and we will," she heard Kay say. He was standing up straight and he looked very brave.

The Snow Queen frowned. "No," she said icily. It was just one word, but it held such a threat as to make one very uneasy.

Kay grabbed Gerda's hand and started to march out the passageway.

A wall of ice fell down in front of it.

"I command the snow and the ice. Do not think you can escape me," said the Snow Queen.

Gerda still stood, just staring at the Snow Queen, trying to understand her. There was something in those sapphire eyes, something that seemed not so evil, as just plain sad.

"Come with us," Gerda said quietly.

The Snow Queen whirled. "What?"

"I said come with us," Gerda said in a louder voice.

The Snow Queen pursed her lips. "I cannot."

"Why? I met your step-mother on my way here. She said that you had reason to hate her, and she was sorry for what she had done to you. She said you did not deserve your fate. So what is it?"

"You want to hear my story?" the Snow Queen said slowly.

Gerda nodded.

The Snow Queen got a far away look in her eyes. She was remembering days long ago, times gone past. "I fell in love at a young age," she started. "He was perfect. Brave, handsome, noble, and he loved me. He said he'd do anything for me. We got married when I was sixteen. I was due to have a child when I was seventeen."

She looked at Kay. "That was why I brought you here. You reminded me of my husband, of how I pictured out son would be." Then she turned back to the story. "I was beautiful. I did not dwell on the fact, but I was. My step-mother," her voice grew shaky, "she was jealous. She was obsessed with beauty and jealous. Jealous of me. So she plotted against my life. She murdered me."

She looked up at Gerda and Kay's confused faces. "I know, I am alive now, but I was considered dead, for a time. The fairies, they took pity on me. They hated to see my young life so destroyed. So they told me that I could live again, could see my husband again, if I would agree to be the Snow Queen. I agreed of course, eager to be with my husband. But more time had passed in faeryland than I realized. My husband had long since died, my son, of course could not still be alive when I was "dead" for so long. But I could not take back my promise. I had to be the Snow Queen. And with that came an eternity of this," she waved her hand at the snow and ice. "An eternity of ice, an eternity of cold, an eternity of being alone! And I hate it," she finished quietly.

Gerda cried, not for her own sake, but for the Snow Queen's. "So you have to stay here?" she asked, looking around at the cold palace.

The Snow Queen nodded.

"I'm sorry," Gerda said quietly. "I suppose—I suppose we could both stay here. And keep you company."

The Snow Queen looked up, surprised. "You would do that, for me? Sacrifice your lives, like that, for me?"

Gerda nodded and looked at Kay. He took the hint and nodded as well.

The Snow Queen smiled slightly and Gerda thought that she looked far less cold than before.

"I—I thank you," the Snow Queen finally said. "But I cannot accept. However, your willingness to make that sort of a sacrifice for me has shown me how good both of you truly are. You both may go. Leave me, and get on with your own lives. I alone made the promise, and alone will stay here."

Kay nodded and started to walk through the door.

"Alright," Gerda said quietly. "But try to take join in what you do. You bring happiness to thousands of children with your sparkling snows. Smile when they smile, be joyful when they're joyful."

The Snow Queen gave a sad looking smile. "I will—try," she said, looking rather unsure.

Gerda ran to her and gave her a hug.

The Snow Queen was surprised, but awkwardly patted Gerda's back.

"You will do it," Gerda whispered.

When they broke the embrace, the Snow Queen looked much nicer and happier than before, than Kay had ever seen her, in all the years he lived there.

Kay and Gerda walked in silence for a long while, each consumed in their own thoughts of the Snow Queen. When they were out of range of her palace, a boy, who looked to be about ten or so, ran up to them.

"Gerda, Gerda, you did it!"

Gerda looked at him in surprise. She was quite sure she had never seen the boy before. But when she looked in his eyes, he had the eyes of the reindeer who had carried her there.

He laughed. "Yes, I'm the reindeer. I had a spell on me; I could only return to a human whenever I had helped another human who was pure of heart. That was you. You broke the spell."

"Oh! Well, I'm quite happy for you."

They walked with the boy for a while, but then had to leave him, for they were going to warmer lands. When they were walking along the beach, they saw a boy and girl walking there also. Upon getting closer, Gerda realized that it was Pedro, and the girl was undoubtedly the mermaid girl he fell in love with, only now she was a human.

"Pedro!"

"Gerda! So you found your friend, then. I am happy for you. And you ought to be happy for me as well. This is my wife, Oceanna. Yes, she was the mermaid. We had a hard time of getting together, but now here we are, happy as can be."

Oceanna gave Gerda a shy smile.

"I am most happy for you, Pedro!" Gerda said. "But now we must continue on our way."

Kay and Gerda sailed over the sea, and crossed many lands, but at last they came to their home. The roses were blooming, pretty as they ever had been. And Kay's grandmother was there. She'd grown very old while they were away.

"Kay? Gerda? Is that you?"

"Yes, Grandmother, it is," Kay said. "Both of us. We're back now."

"Ah, I suppose you're wedding day will be soon now."

Kay and Gerda both turned bright red.

The old lady laughed. "You mean you haven't even proposed to her yet?" she sighed and shook her head. "Well, Gerda, when he does, will you accept him?"

Gerda blushed a deep red and said nothing, keeping her eyes on her shoes.

Kay brought his hand to her face and lifted up her chin.

"Well, Gerda, will you? Marry me?"

Gerda smiled. "Yes, Kay, I will."

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Disclaimer: I don't own Snow White, or Beauty and the Beast.

Well, there tis. It's finished now. It's not really my best work, but hopefully everyone who read it enjoyed. Leave me a review!


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